


The Art of Dissembling

by Sangerin



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: F/F, F/M, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-03
Updated: 2006-09-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 14:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sangerin/pseuds/Sangerin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five things Sam has secretly thought about Ruth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Art of Dissembling

i.  
For her first six months at Five, Sam called Ruth "Trelawney" in her head. She could never quite understand how someone as klutzy and disorganised as Ruth could do her job as well as she did. In fact, at first Sam couldn't believe that Ruth was only 32 years old. She was flighty and scattered and papers seemed to shift and unsettle around her, and seemed as though she would better suited to running a New Age shop than being a researcher for an organisation fighting domestic terrorism.

Sam had to admit, though, that despite the chaos, Ruth knew where every bit of paper was when she needed it, and although she babbled a little in her reports, she knew her facts. And Ruth was, well… _cute_ when she babbled.

ii.  
Sam has heard the whispers that Ruth was really a spy sent by GCHQ. She's heard the story told five different ways and knows that no one dares to say a word about it within earshot of Harry or Tom.

She wonders how Ruth managed to do it, how she didn't change sides the moment she was assigned to work with these people. In the middle of her musings she remembers Jane, and wonders if she understands now.

iii.  
Ruth is a very private person, normally, but she's almost eager to talk about the way that every date with a man ever has ended in disaster. Sam knows that tune so very well, that she wonders whether all the talk is Ruth's way of attempting to cover herself. Or it could be that Ruth really is that insecure about herself and her appearance to the outside world.

It's true that every instance of Ruth-on-a-date that Sam knows of has indeed ended in disaster: add to that a couple of relatively public rebuffs from Tom (what would be subtle anywhere else is public when you're in roomful of MI-5 operatives. But Ruth still seems to be trying just that little bit too hard.

iv.  
Sam watches Malcolm. She wants to be a real spy one day, after all. She wants to hone her observational skills, and so she watches Malcolm and the way he interacts with Ruth. The way he's always facing her direction if Ruth is anywhere around; the way he agrees immediately to anything Ruth suggests. The way he tries to anticipate her wishes.

Sam knows it's a little cruel of her to assume Ruth is as oblivious as she'd have to be, but Sam wonders whether Ruth has any idea about her effect on Malcolm. Ruth-who's-a-failure-with-men has Malcolm wrapped around her little finger, and doesn't even realise it. It makes Sam sorry for Malcolm, and almost – almost – makes her hate Ruth just a little.

v.  
More often than Sam would like, she finds herself wondering how Ruth would react if one day, Sam just leaned over the desk and the piles of messy papers and kissed her.


End file.
